Joshua 7:6, commentary and pictures

After Israel's unexpected defeat at Ai in which thirty-six men were slain, Joshua with the elders tore their clothes, fell facedown before the ark until evening, and put dust on their heads. Their prostrate posture expressed anguish, astonishment, grief too great for words, and abject humiliation, as Joshua with great sorrow laid the case open before God and asked why Israel had been brought over Jordan to be destroyed and what would become of God's great name. At that time he did not yet know the cause, but he understood the failure meant God's displeasure and that His presence and unseen armies were no longer with Israel because of Achan's hidden taking of what was devoted to destruction. God enlightened His servant and commanded him to get up, declaring Israel had sinned and transgressed His covenant, and that outward humiliation, mourning, and prayer alone could not suffice while the accursed thing remained in the camp. One man's secret wrongdoing kindled the Lord's anger against the whole congregation so Israel could not stand before its enemies, showing the camp must be promptly cleansed and the wrong removed before blessing could return and advance resume.

Defeat and Mourning Rite

After the unexpected defeat at Ai in which thirty-six men were slain, Joshua with the elders of Israel responded by mourning before the ark. They tore their clothes, fell facedown before the ark of the Lord until evening, and put dust on their heads.

Their posture expressed distress, alarm and apprehension in anguish of soul. It was astonishment and grief too great for words, abject humiliation, and a wounded, tortured spirit. Lying prostrate in humility, they remained in deep grief and humiliation before God until evening.

Lying prostrate, Joshua prayed and laid the case open before God with great sorrow. He asked why Israel had been brought over Jordan to be delivered to the Amorites to be destroyed, and what it meant that the children of Israel fled before their enemies. He asked what would become of God's great name when the Canaanites heard, because all Israel was humiliated before its enemies and God's name would not be magnified before the people.

At that time Joshua did not yet know the cause of the repulse and death. Believing the failure expressed God's displeasure, he knew God's unseen armies and presence were no longer with Israel. The whole matter took place at Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in the promised land, from which Israel marched to the overthrow of Jericho and the conquest of Ai.

Sin and Divine Answer

The defeat at Ai followed Achan's hidden sin in taking spoil from Jericho that was devoted to destruction and forbidden. He took a golden wedge and a Babylonian garment, appropriating what belonged to God's altar and treasury by taking and stealing and dissembling and hiding it among his own stuff, which he esteemed a trifling thing. His covetousness and theft of what was dedicated to God, with concealment of the deed, show how seriously God regards such sins, and professed righteousness does not make concealed wrongdoing harmless. Achan coveted and took what belonged to God's altar, and the same covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world destroys the spirit of sacrifice, gaining upon the heart imperceptibly so that those who have it are not aware of it.

One man's sin kindled the Lord's anger against Israel, so His presence and blessing and the armies of heaven were withdrawn and Israel could not prevail or stand before its enemies, allowing the enemy to triumph. Because of that withdrawal Israel was defeated and driven back, with thirty-six slain, and God could not help them while the sin affected the entire congregation. The spoil had been taken from the enemies of Israel with robbery and dissembling, and His blessing could not rest on the people till these things were cleansed from them. God would not bless Israel in battle while the sin remained among them, and thousands died as a result.

God enlightened His servant and did not approve continued lying on the face while sin remained, but commanded him to get up. He declared that Israel had sinned and transgressed His covenant by taking and stealing and dissembling and hiding the accursed thing among their own stuff. That accursed thing in the camp must be purged before Israel could stand before its enemies.

Outward humiliation, mourning, and prayer alone could not remove the cause or suffice, for Israel had sinned by taking and concealing what God had forbidden. The camp had to be cleansed and the wrongdoing removed, and the sin exposed and put away before Israel could stand against its enemies. After God's sentence on Achan was carried out His wrath was turned away, and Israel was commanded to advance against Ai again.

Shared Guilt and Cleansing

Achan's hidden taking of a golden wedge and a Babylonian garment devoted to destruction brought defeat at Ai and prevented success against enemies, and that one man's secret wrongdoing was charged to all Israel. His disobedience brought God's displeasure, anger and rebuke upon the whole camp, congregation and church, withdrawing blessing, presence and power so Israel could not prevail or stand before enemies until the sin was found, removed and the camp cleansed. One person's sin thus discomfited the entire army, brought suffering, burden, trouble, defeat, hindrance to progress and death upon the whole community, with thousands dying as a result. Hidden wrongdoing in one person's household, heart or life can therefore hinder God's blessing on others engaged in His work, showing that corrupt, selfish Achans in the camp bring guilt and loss of blessing that must be addressed and purged by finding and removing the wrong.

When Joshua and the elders fell with rent clothes and dust on their heads before the ark until evening, all Israel stood under God's rebuke on account of Achan's sin. Defects of character in any member or minister, if made light of and retained in place, are charged to the whole church, so that by keeping the offender in place the church assumes his defects as its own and comes under God's rebuke and loses His presence unless the accursed thing is destroyed. To accept a man of known weakness of character and moral darkness as minister dishonors God, lowers the standard of righteousness to the ruin of the man and to the detriment of the church. To know evil yet hide the eyes from it and walk contrary to God's will brings guilt more grievous than that of ancient Israel.

Sin in the community must be dealt with promptly and the camp cleansed so others are not contaminated, with church leaders requiring those who persist in sin to put it away or be separated from the church. Those who do wickedly as Achan, deceived and deceiving, and who refuse to repent after being visited and labored with, are as Achan in the camp and must not be retained on the books but must be separated from fellowship by disfellowshipping. To retain unrepentant sinners in the church insults the God of heaven. The saints will be held accountable for their evil deeds if their names are retained on the church books.

Achan's sin harmed Israel, but backbiting and slander are worse because their influence spreads beyond those who practice them and defiles many. That corrupting evil must be purged from the church before God can bless it, and those who persist in it must repent and change their conduct. In the same setting of Joshua and the elders mourning and humbling themselves before the ark after defeat, selfishly taking what belonged to God brings judgment and harms God's work.

Covetousness and Hidden Sin

Achan's history shows that covetousness grows gradually as greed is cherished until it becomes a binding habit that deadens perception of sin and moral perception. That hardened habit does not end with the one who cherishes it, but leads to his ruin and brings disaster upon others. The defeat of Israel because of the hidden sin, and the destruction of Achan and his household when the sin was exposed, stands as warning that covetousness brings ruin unless it is rooted out.

The same covetousness, selfishness, love of money and love of the world and its gain, with avarice and deception, is through the ranks of Sabbath-keepers and God's professed Israel, destroying the spirit of sacrifice and drying up sacrifice. It gains hold upon the heart imperceptibly, so that those who have it are not aware of it. Means are not their own but are lent by God who made them His stewards, yet they call it their own and hoard it up, take the sacrifice from God's altar, and love the world and its gain and increase. Unless it is rooted out by an entire change, by arising and renewing strength in God through renewing and keeping covenant with Him in self-denial and sacrifice for the truth's sake, and by sacrificing for God and denying self for the truth's sake, destruction will be as sure as Achan's was. When His prospering hand is removed it is all snatched away in a moment, and they will perish with the world, for the loftiness and pride of man is soon to be brought down and humbled, and the plagues of God shall fall on kings and nobles, rich and poor alike.

God regards covetousness, theft of what was dedicated to God, and concealment of sin most seriously, as seen when Achan's covetousness, theft, and concealment brought Israel's defeat and the deaths of thirty-six men. Professed righteousness does not make concealed wrongdoing harmless. Selfishness, avarice, and deception do not remain hidden from God, for as He searched out Achan He will search out those who cherish such sins and bring judgment upon them.

Appropriating for personal use means that belonged to God, being wise above what is written in the law, is robbing the treasury, and God looks upon such selfish and covetous appropriation by workers in His institutions today as He looked upon the sin of Achan. When men measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves, demand wages by comparison, think they should be greatly favored, and selfishly take all they think they should have, they practice the evil leaven of selfishness and covetousness and double-dealing. God sees every such case, sees that an atmosphere of unbelief surrounds such a man, sees that he cannot give the right mold to the work and cannot supply the necessities of laborers in hard fields, and He will pass judgment on those who so rob the treasury.

Robbery and selfish withholding of means had brought God's censure on the whole camp, which is why Joshua and the elders rent their clothes and lay before the ark with dust on their heads until evening, mourning and humbling themselves before God after Israel's defeat in the setting of Achan's concealed wrongdoing. Dishonest practices bring dishonor to God and require repentance and restitution. Those in responsible positions who have robbed God's cause and hindered the work must have their spiritual eyesight anointed to see justice and mercy and equity and truth, hate what God hates, stop making excuses and criticizing, and make full restitution of both principal and interest.

Leaders and Present Duty

When it is manifest that the Lord is angry with His people, the men on whom rests the burden of the work most keenly feel the weight of the people's sins and pray in agony of soul because of His rebuke, while the guilty party himself feels no burden. Joshua and the elders rent their clothes and fell facedown before the ark until evening with dust on their heads, crying in anguish of soul in astonishment, grief, abject humiliation, and wounded, tortured spirit, because one man's esteemed trifling taking of the accursed goods had kindled God's anger, withdrawn His presence and the armies of heaven, and left Israel defeated with thirty-six slain. Achan saw Joshua lying in grief over the defeat but did not confess his guilt or reveal the reason for the discomfiture. Hidden wrongdoing in one person's household or heart can hinder God's blessing on others engaged in His work, and serious sin within a community can be associated with failure in its work, bringing grave consequences beyond the doer especially when those involved are closely connected with the work and influence others, so the needed response is to find and remove the wrong. God rebuked Israel for failing to be vigilant in discovering and uncovering sin among them, and remembering that rebuke His people must act promptly and earnestly when wrongdoing is suspected.

The way God dealt with Israel teaches the responsibility resting on those who stand in high positions of trust, for God has not changed and is the same in the gospel as in ancient Israel, holding leaders who know the truth equally responsible with open transgressors if they become careless and pass by sin and transgression in their midst. Hidden sins cause loss of His favor, so sin must not be left to drift or be treated as not exceedingly offensive to God, and deception, falsehood, and moral corruption among professed children of God must not be met with silence. Righteousness and judgment must be closely guarded, youth must be given a right impression of what constitutes sin and uncleanness and rottenness of character, and the Achans must be separated from the camp, and when principals and teachers do their duty God by His Holy Spirit will point out the wrongdoers and demonstrate that He will not tolerate sin. God's people are responsible for success and must have discipline, must call sin by its right name without tampering with it, and must hate the sin but love the sinner with the compassion of Jesus. Unremoved sin committed in the midst, though fully known to God after He had done a great and glorious work by His mighty power, barred His way so He could not do what He would, just as unbelief kept Christ from doing many mighty works, and therefore they must cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, clearing the way by repentance as John prepared the way for Christ, so that God can work and heavenly intelligences can make the surrendered agent a living channel of light.

A wrong course pursued by one toward his brother turns the light of God from His people until the wrong is searched out and the cause of the oppressed is vindicated, as the sin of one man discomfited the entire army. As long as selfishness dries up kindly sympathy and tender thoughtful love for brethren every virtue is corroded, so God's people must practice close self-examination for the principles required to triumph in God and receive the promised blessings, being tender in feeling, enlarged in heart, broad and deep rather than narrow and selfish, with noble sympathy, largeness of soul and disinterested benevolence. Temptation must never be underestimated, for a person who feels secure may be in great danger of falling and cannot meet and resist it by personal strength alone, and reviewing past failures in the right spirit can bring clear self-knowledge and humility before God. The spirit that took possession of Achan works in men in important positions when sin is unrepented, unpurged, and unrestored, bringing defeat and leaving no hope for God's institutions unless leading men fall on the Rock and are broken, let the Word of the Lord into the mind, and pray with humble broken hearts softened and subdued by the love of Christ, for without this deceptions will increase and God will surely humble them. Joshua in humbling himself before God, feeling deep grief over the wrong among the people and over the danger, and searching out wrongs to act against prevailing sin, exemplifies the discretion needed so that God's displeasure may be turned away from His people.